From Trauma to Triumph: Percy the “PTSD” Platypus and the Power of Mindset Rule 18
- Bruce Schutter
- 1 day ago
- 5 min read
It started like any other downtown afternoon. I was walking back with a diet soda — book in one hand, Mental Health Warrior Challenge Coins jingling in my pocket — when I heard someone mutter behind me:
“Three feet? I barely made it across the street without flinching at a squirrel.”
I turned and saw Percy the “PTSD” Platypus.
He nodded, eyes carrying the kind of weight that says he’s seen some things. “Marvin sent me. He said you deal with PTSD too… thought you might understand.”
“I do,” I said. “Mine came from years as an EMT in high school and college. I saw people die too young. I wasn’t ready.”
Percy’s expression shifted. “Mine started in a desert halfway across the world. And now? I hear it again as an EMT. You don’t forget certain sounds. Smells. The way adrenaline rewires your brain.”
Different wars. Same battlefield upstairs.
He gave a faint smirk. “Marvin says I should talk to someone who knows what it’s like to flinch at sirens and still want to find joy.”
The Warrior Solution
I told Percy my story — how for 20 years I battled Bipolar, Alcoholism, Anxiety Disorders and PTSD. How it left me feeling so powerless that I tried to end my life.
“But in that darkness,” I said, “I realized something I hadn’t understood before — mental health is the key to overcoming any challenge.”
“With that knowledge,” I continued, “I created the Mental Health Warrior Program — a bold SELF-HELP approach that puts YOU in charge!”
“And a big part of that is building a stronger mindset. That’s why I wrote 53 Mindset Rules of a Mental Health Warrior.”
“They’re not rules in the traditional sense. They’re tools. Daily reminders that steady your emotions and help you stay in control of your day.”
Percy nodded slowly.
“Well,” I said, “there’s one rule that’s helped me more than almost anything — Mindset Rule 18.”
Mindset Rule 18
I pulled a folded page from my notebook and handed it to Percy. At the top it read:
Mindset Rule 18 — Focus three feet in front of you, with occasional glances up to ensure you’re on track to your destination.
“It sounds simple,” I said. “But it cuts through the noise PTSD throws into your brain. It keeps you grounded and focused on what’s right in front of you — not trapped in yesterday or spiraling about tomorrow.”
He read it again and nodded. “I like that. Three feet is manageable. The past… not so much.”
“Exactly,” I said. “Three feet is today. It’s the next breath. The next step. You don’t ignore the past. You don’t obsess over the future. You move forward — deliberately.”
I paused. “Want to know how I use it every day?”
Percy grunted. “Hit me. Figuratively, of course.”
Example 1: Start the Day Three Feet at a Time
“When I wake up and feel the fog starting to roll in,” I said, “I ground myself — feet on the floor, slow breathing and one small action.
Sometimes I clean the kitchen. Sometimes I journal. I don’t try to conquer the whole day. I focus on what’s three feet ahead. That’s enough to shift the momentum.”
Because when you live with PTSD, mornings can arrive loud. Your nervous system wakes up already scanning for danger. A simple reset routine tells your brain something different:
You’re safe. You’re here. You’re in control.
By narrowing your focus to one small, doable task, you interrupt the spiral before it builds.
You anchor yourself in the present before the past barges in!
Percy’s Takeaway:
Percy scratched his bill thoughtfully. “So… focus on the first action. I can do that. Every morning I feed my fish.
Maybe I start naming the emotion while I do it. ‘Hello, dread. Here’s your breakfast.’”
“Exactly,” I laughed. “Make it a positive ritual. Something steady. Something yours.”
Example 2: One Step Up the Mountain
“I used to overwhelm myself,” I said. “Trying to fix everything at once. Solve the whole day before it even started. Now I plan three feet at a time — maybe 90 minutes ahead.”
With PTSD, even ordinary tasks can feel enormous. Your brain scans for threats while you’re just trying to answer emails. Big-picture thinking turns into big-pressure thinking.
So I shrink the frame.
Ninety minutes. One task. One clear focus.
That shift quiets the internal alarm and builds momentum — one steady step at a time.
Percy’s Takeaway:
Percy nodded. “I started a woodworking project last week. Got mad halfway through and nearly smashed it.
Maybe I focus on sanding one side at a time. ‘Operation: Smooth Left Panel.’”
He smirked. “Small missions. Achievable objectives.”
“Now you’re speaking my language,” I grinned. “That’s Warrior strategy.”
Example 3: Three Feet Through the Flashback
“When a flashback hits,” I said, “it feels like I’m right back in the worst moment — heart racing, senses hijacked. That’s when I lean on Mindset Rule 18.”
I slow it down and focus three feet ahead.
Not the past. Not the whole day. Just right here. Right now.
“I’ll touch something near me — a table, my Mental Health Warrior Challenge Coin.
Something solid. Then I breathe and say, ‘I’m safe. I’m here.’”
It’s like grabbing a mental rope and pulling myself back from the edge.
Percy’s Takeaway:
Percy nodded slowly. “There’s a sound that used to trigger me. I’d freeze — body tense, mind gone.”
He reached into his pocket. “Marvin gave me one of your Warrior coins. Never thought to use it like that… but I can hold it. Focus three feet ahead. Remind myself I’m not back there. I’m here.”
“That’s exactly it,” I said. “We use the present as our anchor — and the rule as our compass.
Three feet of clarity at a time. That’s how we take our power back.”
Wrap up
Before we parted ways, I handed Percy a copy of 53 Mindset Rules of a Mental Health Warrior.
He held it carefully — like it was a field manual for the next chapter of his life.
“You know,” he said, flipping back to Mindset Rule 18, “for a book without camouflage, this might be the most useful gear I’ve carried.”
I smiled. “It’s helped me learn to respect each day — especially for those who didn’t get another one.”
He nodded slowly. “I lost a few brothers overseas. I get it.”
We stood under the fading afternoon sun as Percy slid the book into his backpack.
“Truth is,” he said quietly, “I’m tired of fighting ghosts. I want to live again.”
“We both do,” I said. “And we will.”
We bumped fists — or, technically, bill and fist.
Because whether PTSD came from a battlefield, a backroad ambulance run, or any trauma life throws our way, one thing remains true: Trauma doesn’t get the final word. We do.
So if your struggles threaten to overwhelm you, remember Mindset Rule 18 and take charge of your day — three feet at a time.
Because we are Mental Health Warriors. And we are in charge!
Bruce Schutter
Every day is a chance to choose strength — because YOU'RE IN CHARGE!